crazaytalent
05-29-2009, 04:18 PM
So your Boy Zay is Back with a brand new tutorial to help out some of our more inexperienced users... hope this helps some people!
First thing's first: What the Heck is the Registry??
WikiPedia has a pretty good definition of what the Registry is:
The Windows registry is a directory which stores settings and options for the operating system for Microsoft ....Windows Mobile. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, operating system software, most non-operating system software, users, preferences of the (Mobile Phone), etc. Whenever a user makes changes to Control Panel settings, file associations, system policies, or most installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the registry.
Now that you still don't have a clue what the registry is, let me try to explain it. Think of the registry as a single file that holds nearly every possible setting for your phone, the WM OS, any software or game installed on the phone, etc. Think of it as a single file that basically tells the phone who it is, what it has on it, and how to do everything you want it to do. Think of it as just one big file with all the settings for your phone (the hardware), the Operating System, and the software installed. So for example, if you wanted to keep the keyboard backlight to stay lit for 60 seconds instead of only the highest option available of 30 seconds in the settings, you can go into the registry and change it to 60 seconds yourself.
So no matter what you call it, registry edit, tweak, or a hack, you are simply just changing a setting on your phone. That's it. Nothing more.
Editing the registry is officially and traditionally considered a task saved for power users only. But with the instructions and tools in this article this wonderful tool can be opened up to anyone with a WM device.
Safely editing your registry
Not to scare you off from having fun with the cool suggestions in this article, but now before we get started is the perfect time to address the fears of blowing up your phone with editing your registry... look at the reality of any possible risks, and how to restore your phone to its previous state no matter what you do. The two main fears that new users have when starting to look into the registry is:
1) Fatally killing your phone forever
2) Losing all of your personal information without ever being able to get it all back
Both of these are valid... but only to a point. As you will see below, you can stop your phone from working by editing the registry, but this can usually and easily be fixed by a doing a hard reset. The second is not a major concern either, as long as you have a current backup, which is easy to do.
The Reality of your possible risks
The bottom line is that when playing with the registry, you should always be able to hard reset the phone to wipe out any bad errors you may have caused, but in the process wipe out your personal information as well. So in reality, for the most part, the only thing at risk is your personal information, settings you have changed, and software you personally installed, which is really easy to backup and restore so you can have it all back again.
I guess for liability sake, I have to say to "proceed at your own risk" as Murphy's Law often times proves, anything can happen no matter if it is likely or not... I have personally not seen a situation where a hard reset cannot fix a registry edit. Basically put, you should be able to recover from nearly any published and verified registry edit with no real worries beyond having to do a hard reset and restore you latest backup.
So again, if you do make a change in the registry that stops your phone from working, then there are two simple steps to get it working again:
Do a hard rest on your phone (see the manual for your phone to see which buttons you need to push while you use the stylus to hit the reset button)
Restore your latest backup with all of your personal information and settings
That's it. These two steps are the worst that you should face. No balls of flames... no eternal paperweights.
Safe steps to take when editing the Registry
There are two points of advice I will always give to anyone when tweaking their registry.
1. don' t just go around in the registry and start changing settings willynilly just to see what happens, as you will get unexpected and sometimes fatal results, but instead to stick only with published tweaks that have been posted in articles, proven to work in forums, or found in books.
2. do a complete backup each time before you edit your registry to make sure that all of your latest settings and personal info are saved and ready to restore at anytime for any reason.
Pim Backup, Sprite Backup or SPB Backup are a few of the top programs I personally recommend... All of these programs can be found here at AMJ w/ a simple "search"
Registry Editors
Generally speaking, whenever you open up a window that has any options to adjust any settings, this is simply a visual and simple interface to making a registry edit (think of it as a mini registry editor). So for example, let's say that you wanted to change your phone number in the Owner Information for your phone. You could go through start menu>settings>personal>owner information... or open up a registry editor, navigate to the correct spot where the owner information is stored in the registry, open up the correct Key, change it to your new phone number, and save it. So, little did you know that you have been doing Registry Edits all along on your phone, but never even realized it!
But to give you a real opportunity to browse all the settings in the Registry, then you will need a Registry Editor. There are loads of them available
One of the best Free Registry Editor is PHM Registry Editor (http://www.phm.lu/Products/PocketPC/RegEdit/):
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss5-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss5.jpg)
Understanding the Structure of the Registry
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ registry_definitions_2.jpg
Now for those that want to learn how to edit the registry themselves, let's dig in. In order to follow someone's direction of where to find a setting to change in the registry, you will need to know the basics about how the registry is organized and some basic lingo (i.e. subtree, key, subkey, or value). So this is the only time that we are forced to get really geeked up in this article.
Here are some basic terms and what they mean:
subtree
This is where you start. The registry is divided up into 4 different sections called Subtrees. As far as navigating around, you could think of these as different hard drives on a PC.
keyA key is a general area in a subtree. You can think of this like a folder on a hard drive.
subkey
This is basically the second layer down in a key. You could think of this like a subfolder.
value
A value holds a specific setting in a subkey. Think of it like a file. This is what it is all about... getting to the value of a key or subkey to change its setting. There are several different type of values, i.e. Dword or binary. You usually do not have to worry about this when editing values are already in the registry, as they are already assigned as the appropriate value type.address
The location of a value. See below for the format of writing a registry address.
How the registry is organized
The registry is organized in a tree structure. When you look at the registry in a Registry Editor, it looks very similar to what your PC looks like when looking at it with Windows Explorer. You will always start with one of the 4 subtrees when trying to find a value to change in the registry.
SubtreeDefinition
HKEY_USERSContains all the actively loaded user profiles on the computer.
abbreviated as "HKU."
HKEY_CURRENT_USERContains the root of the configuration information for the user who is currently logged on. The user's folders, screen colors, and Control Panel settings are stored here. This information is associated with the user's profile.
abbreviated as "HKCU".
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEContains configuration information particular to the handheld (for any user).
abbreviated as "HKLM."
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
The information that is stored here makes sure that the correct program opens when you open a file by using Mobile Explorer. Most registry edits are in the other three subtrees
abbreviated as "HKCR."
Navigating to a Value
First of all let's show you how to actually navigate on your own to a specific value. Most of us have seen how we might write a location of a file on a Windows PC. You first put the hard drive (subtree) followed by a folder (key) followed by a subfolder (subkey) followed by the document name (value) with each part separated by a backslash "\". It might look like this "C:\My Documents\Work\Expense_Report.xls". It is exactly the same with a registry address as well. You put the Subtree (think of C:\ or D:\ on a PC) followed by a Key (think of folder) followed by a Subkey (think of subfolder) followed by the Value (think of file) with each one separated by a backslash "\".
For example to change the startup homepage for Windows Mobile Internet Explorer in a registry editor you would go to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page" and change the website address to what you want, i.e. "http://www.smartphonejunkie. com" This is really easy as when you first open up a registry editor you will see the 4 Subtrees. In this example you will see a + sign next to the Subtree called "HKEY_CURRENT_USER". Simply click on the + sign. Now you will see a list of Keys (folders). Scroll down until you see "Software" and just like before click on the + sign. Then scroll down until you see "Microsoft" and.. you guessed it... click on the + sign. Now scroll down until you see "Internet Explorer" and click on it. Now in the window below that you will see the value (file) called "Main". Click on it to open it. After it opens then simply type in the homepage you want your Mobile Internet Explorer to start with, i.e. "http://www.smartphonejunkie. com" and click save or done. That's it. You just edited your registry. It is that easy.
Now I want to walk you through one more very popular registry edit with screen shots for every step of the way. I will be using "Resco Registry Editor" for this example. This registry edit is called GlyphCache... why they named the subkey that is beyond me, but what is important is that this tweak can greatly speed up how fast your phone runs and responds!
Here is how you might see this registry edit spelled out in a forum, book, or article:
Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\GLYPHCACHE\
You can change the "limit" value :
4096 : this will slow down the display, but use less memory (default setting on Palm-size PC)
8192 : this is the default value on Pocket PC, average memory/performances
16384 : this will speed up the display, but use more memory, twice the default Pocket PC value
What this means is that we need to navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\GLYPHCACHE\" open up the value called "Limit" and change the setting to either "4096", "8192", or "16384" and save it.
Okay, now this is how to actually do it. Once you open up your Registry Editor, you will see all 4 of the Subtrees.
Click on the + sign next to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE". And you will see the keys expanded below it.
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree-Extended-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree-Extended.jpg)
Now in the top window, scroll down until you see "System" and click on the + sign so that all the subkeys are expanded out below it.
Next scroll down until you see the subkey called "GDI" and click on the + sign to expand it out as well so that you see "GLYPHCACHE" and click on it.
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Key-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Key.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subkey-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subkey.jpg)
Now with the "GLYPHCACHE" selected, look at the bottom window and you will see the value called "Limit" currently set to "8192".
Click on the value called "Limit" to open it up. Do not change the name of the value, but do change the number to either "4096", "8192", or "16384" (hint... the more RAM your phone has, the higher the number you want to choose) and click "Done".
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value.jpg)
That's it. You just did yet another registry edit. If you find the number you chose actually slows down your phone, then follow these steps again and choose one of the other numbers until you find the one that is best for your specific model of phone.
Search for a value
Now if you know the exact name of the value (setting) then you can do a search for the value instead of drilling down to find it. This is also very helpful if you know the name of the value, but do not know what key or subkey it is under. So, let's do the exact same registry tweak as above, but this time let's find it by searching. First, click "Menu" and then "Find".
In the search window, type in "glyphcache".
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Window-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Window.jpg)
Click on "Done" and it will start searching the registry...
If it does not find the exact value of the subkey you want, then click on "Menu" and "Find Next". Repeat as needed until it finds the one you are looking for.
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Searching-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Searching.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu-1-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu-1.jpg)
Once it finds the value or subkey you are looking for, in this case "GLYPHCACHE" under the subkey "GDI", click on "GLYPHCACHE" and look at the bottom window and you will see the value called "Limit".
Click on the value called "Limit" to open it up. Do not change the name of the value, but do change the number to either "4096", "8192", or "16384" (hint... the more RAM your phone has the higher the number you want to choose) and click "Done".
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache-1-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache-1.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value-1-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value-1.jpg)
Now you just did a registry edit by drilling down in the registry tree and by searching for it.
Getting ready to move on to the next one
Above is a pretty good example of how most registry edits are done. Some registry tweaks will require that you change two or more values. Just repeat the above steps for each value you have to change.
Some registry edits will require you to add a value. I would recommend that you only do this after you have had experience working with the registry. There are several different kinds of values and you have to make sure you have the right one, and with all the right settings. This is beyond the scope of the goals of this Tutorial.
If you feel a registry hack is too complicated for your comfort level, no worries, just skip it.
On a side note, the above screenshots may LOOK a bit different from your actual registry editor, depending on what editor your using; but the process is still the same
After you make a registry edit, some of them will not take effect until after you do a soft reset with your phone. This is basically just rebooting or restarting your phone. On most phones you take the stylus and stick the tip into a small hole on the bottom or edge of the phone for 1 second.
Special note for Registry edits & soft resets WM 05 & WM 06
Due to the way WM 05 & WM 06 manages its memory, the registry changes do not get saved or applied to the phone for several minutes after you make the changes. In short, if you reset using the reset button shortly after making registry changes, then you will keep seeing your changes being undone unless you wait a while for the changes to have a chance to be saved.
Thanks to HobbesIsReal over at WMexperts for poolin this info... all side comment in red, are personal comment by me...for more indepth info go here
http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/howto/how_to_edit_the_registry.html
First thing's first: What the Heck is the Registry??
WikiPedia has a pretty good definition of what the Registry is:
The Windows registry is a directory which stores settings and options for the operating system for Microsoft ....Windows Mobile. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, operating system software, most non-operating system software, users, preferences of the (Mobile Phone), etc. Whenever a user makes changes to Control Panel settings, file associations, system policies, or most installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the registry.
Now that you still don't have a clue what the registry is, let me try to explain it. Think of the registry as a single file that holds nearly every possible setting for your phone, the WM OS, any software or game installed on the phone, etc. Think of it as a single file that basically tells the phone who it is, what it has on it, and how to do everything you want it to do. Think of it as just one big file with all the settings for your phone (the hardware), the Operating System, and the software installed. So for example, if you wanted to keep the keyboard backlight to stay lit for 60 seconds instead of only the highest option available of 30 seconds in the settings, you can go into the registry and change it to 60 seconds yourself.
So no matter what you call it, registry edit, tweak, or a hack, you are simply just changing a setting on your phone. That's it. Nothing more.
Editing the registry is officially and traditionally considered a task saved for power users only. But with the instructions and tools in this article this wonderful tool can be opened up to anyone with a WM device.
Safely editing your registry
Not to scare you off from having fun with the cool suggestions in this article, but now before we get started is the perfect time to address the fears of blowing up your phone with editing your registry... look at the reality of any possible risks, and how to restore your phone to its previous state no matter what you do. The two main fears that new users have when starting to look into the registry is:
1) Fatally killing your phone forever
2) Losing all of your personal information without ever being able to get it all back
Both of these are valid... but only to a point. As you will see below, you can stop your phone from working by editing the registry, but this can usually and easily be fixed by a doing a hard reset. The second is not a major concern either, as long as you have a current backup, which is easy to do.
The Reality of your possible risks
The bottom line is that when playing with the registry, you should always be able to hard reset the phone to wipe out any bad errors you may have caused, but in the process wipe out your personal information as well. So in reality, for the most part, the only thing at risk is your personal information, settings you have changed, and software you personally installed, which is really easy to backup and restore so you can have it all back again.
I guess for liability sake, I have to say to "proceed at your own risk" as Murphy's Law often times proves, anything can happen no matter if it is likely or not... I have personally not seen a situation where a hard reset cannot fix a registry edit. Basically put, you should be able to recover from nearly any published and verified registry edit with no real worries beyond having to do a hard reset and restore you latest backup.
So again, if you do make a change in the registry that stops your phone from working, then there are two simple steps to get it working again:
Do a hard rest on your phone (see the manual for your phone to see which buttons you need to push while you use the stylus to hit the reset button)
Restore your latest backup with all of your personal information and settings
That's it. These two steps are the worst that you should face. No balls of flames... no eternal paperweights.
Safe steps to take when editing the Registry
There are two points of advice I will always give to anyone when tweaking their registry.
1. don' t just go around in the registry and start changing settings willynilly just to see what happens, as you will get unexpected and sometimes fatal results, but instead to stick only with published tweaks that have been posted in articles, proven to work in forums, or found in books.
2. do a complete backup each time before you edit your registry to make sure that all of your latest settings and personal info are saved and ready to restore at anytime for any reason.
Pim Backup, Sprite Backup or SPB Backup are a few of the top programs I personally recommend... All of these programs can be found here at AMJ w/ a simple "search"
Registry Editors
Generally speaking, whenever you open up a window that has any options to adjust any settings, this is simply a visual and simple interface to making a registry edit (think of it as a mini registry editor). So for example, let's say that you wanted to change your phone number in the Owner Information for your phone. You could go through start menu>settings>personal>owner information... or open up a registry editor, navigate to the correct spot where the owner information is stored in the registry, open up the correct Key, change it to your new phone number, and save it. So, little did you know that you have been doing Registry Edits all along on your phone, but never even realized it!
But to give you a real opportunity to browse all the settings in the Registry, then you will need a Registry Editor. There are loads of them available
One of the best Free Registry Editor is PHM Registry Editor (http://www.phm.lu/Products/PocketPC/RegEdit/):
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss5-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_Products_PocketPC_RegEdit_regedit_ss5.jpg)
Understanding the Structure of the Registry
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ registry_definitions_2.jpg
Now for those that want to learn how to edit the registry themselves, let's dig in. In order to follow someone's direction of where to find a setting to change in the registry, you will need to know the basics about how the registry is organized and some basic lingo (i.e. subtree, key, subkey, or value). So this is the only time that we are forced to get really geeked up in this article.
Here are some basic terms and what they mean:
subtree
This is where you start. The registry is divided up into 4 different sections called Subtrees. As far as navigating around, you could think of these as different hard drives on a PC.
keyA key is a general area in a subtree. You can think of this like a folder on a hard drive.
subkey
This is basically the second layer down in a key. You could think of this like a subfolder.
value
A value holds a specific setting in a subkey. Think of it like a file. This is what it is all about... getting to the value of a key or subkey to change its setting. There are several different type of values, i.e. Dword or binary. You usually do not have to worry about this when editing values are already in the registry, as they are already assigned as the appropriate value type.address
The location of a value. See below for the format of writing a registry address.
How the registry is organized
The registry is organized in a tree structure. When you look at the registry in a Registry Editor, it looks very similar to what your PC looks like when looking at it with Windows Explorer. You will always start with one of the 4 subtrees when trying to find a value to change in the registry.
SubtreeDefinition
HKEY_USERSContains all the actively loaded user profiles on the computer.
abbreviated as "HKU."
HKEY_CURRENT_USERContains the root of the configuration information for the user who is currently logged on. The user's folders, screen colors, and Control Panel settings are stored here. This information is associated with the user's profile.
abbreviated as "HKCU".
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEContains configuration information particular to the handheld (for any user).
abbreviated as "HKLM."
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
The information that is stored here makes sure that the correct program opens when you open a file by using Mobile Explorer. Most registry edits are in the other three subtrees
abbreviated as "HKCR."
Navigating to a Value
First of all let's show you how to actually navigate on your own to a specific value. Most of us have seen how we might write a location of a file on a Windows PC. You first put the hard drive (subtree) followed by a folder (key) followed by a subfolder (subkey) followed by the document name (value) with each part separated by a backslash "\". It might look like this "C:\My Documents\Work\Expense_Report.xls". It is exactly the same with a registry address as well. You put the Subtree (think of C:\ or D:\ on a PC) followed by a Key (think of folder) followed by a Subkey (think of subfolder) followed by the Value (think of file) with each one separated by a backslash "\".
For example to change the startup homepage for Windows Mobile Internet Explorer in a registry editor you would go to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page" and change the website address to what you want, i.e. "http://www.smartphonejunkie. com" This is really easy as when you first open up a registry editor you will see the 4 Subtrees. In this example you will see a + sign next to the Subtree called "HKEY_CURRENT_USER". Simply click on the + sign. Now you will see a list of Keys (folders). Scroll down until you see "Software" and just like before click on the + sign. Then scroll down until you see "Microsoft" and.. you guessed it... click on the + sign. Now scroll down until you see "Internet Explorer" and click on it. Now in the window below that you will see the value (file) called "Main". Click on it to open it. After it opens then simply type in the homepage you want your Mobile Internet Explorer to start with, i.e. "http://www.smartphonejunkie. com" and click save or done. That's it. You just edited your registry. It is that easy.
Now I want to walk you through one more very popular registry edit with screen shots for every step of the way. I will be using "Resco Registry Editor" for this example. This registry edit is called GlyphCache... why they named the subkey that is beyond me, but what is important is that this tweak can greatly speed up how fast your phone runs and responds!
Here is how you might see this registry edit spelled out in a forum, book, or article:
Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\GLYPHCACHE\
You can change the "limit" value :
4096 : this will slow down the display, but use less memory (default setting on Palm-size PC)
8192 : this is the default value on Pocket PC, average memory/performances
16384 : this will speed up the display, but use more memory, twice the default Pocket PC value
What this means is that we need to navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\GLYPHCACHE\" open up the value called "Limit" and change the setting to either "4096", "8192", or "16384" and save it.
Okay, now this is how to actually do it. Once you open up your Registry Editor, you will see all 4 of the Subtrees.
Click on the + sign next to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE". And you will see the keys expanded below it.
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree-Extended-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subtree-Extended.jpg)
Now in the top window, scroll down until you see "System" and click on the + sign so that all the subkeys are expanded out below it.
Next scroll down until you see the subkey called "GDI" and click on the + sign to expand it out as well so that you see "GLYPHCACHE" and click on it.
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Key-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Key.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subkey-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Subkey.jpg)
Now with the "GLYPHCACHE" selected, look at the bottom window and you will see the value called "Limit" currently set to "8192".
Click on the value called "Limit" to open it up. Do not change the name of the value, but do change the number to either "4096", "8192", or "16384" (hint... the more RAM your phone has, the higher the number you want to choose) and click "Done".
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value.jpg)
That's it. You just did yet another registry edit. If you find the number you chose actually slows down your phone, then follow these steps again and choose one of the other numbers until you find the one that is best for your specific model of phone.
Search for a value
Now if you know the exact name of the value (setting) then you can do a search for the value instead of drilling down to find it. This is also very helpful if you know the name of the value, but do not know what key or subkey it is under. So, let's do the exact same registry tweak as above, but this time let's find it by searching. First, click "Menu" and then "Find".
In the search window, type in "glyphcache".
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Window-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Window.jpg)
Click on "Done" and it will start searching the registry...
If it does not find the exact value of the subkey you want, then click on "Menu" and "Find Next". Repeat as needed until it finds the one you are looking for.
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Searching-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Searching.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu-1-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Search-Menu-1.jpg)
Once it finds the value or subkey you are looking for, in this case "GLYPHCACHE" under the subkey "GDI", click on "GLYPHCACHE" and look at the bottom window and you will see the value called "Limit".
Click on the value called "Limit" to open it up. Do not change the name of the value, but do change the number to either "4096", "8192", or "16384" (hint... the more RAM your phone has the higher the number you want to choose) and click "Done".
http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache-1-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Glyphcache-1.jpg) http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value-1-tm.jpg (http://www.wmexperts.com/articleimages/2008/02/_albums_cc82_HobbesIsReal_Articles_Registry_Edits_ Value-1.jpg)
Now you just did a registry edit by drilling down in the registry tree and by searching for it.
Getting ready to move on to the next one
Above is a pretty good example of how most registry edits are done. Some registry tweaks will require that you change two or more values. Just repeat the above steps for each value you have to change.
Some registry edits will require you to add a value. I would recommend that you only do this after you have had experience working with the registry. There are several different kinds of values and you have to make sure you have the right one, and with all the right settings. This is beyond the scope of the goals of this Tutorial.
If you feel a registry hack is too complicated for your comfort level, no worries, just skip it.
On a side note, the above screenshots may LOOK a bit different from your actual registry editor, depending on what editor your using; but the process is still the same
After you make a registry edit, some of them will not take effect until after you do a soft reset with your phone. This is basically just rebooting or restarting your phone. On most phones you take the stylus and stick the tip into a small hole on the bottom or edge of the phone for 1 second.
Special note for Registry edits & soft resets WM 05 & WM 06
Due to the way WM 05 & WM 06 manages its memory, the registry changes do not get saved or applied to the phone for several minutes after you make the changes. In short, if you reset using the reset button shortly after making registry changes, then you will keep seeing your changes being undone unless you wait a while for the changes to have a chance to be saved.
Thanks to HobbesIsReal over at WMexperts for poolin this info... all side comment in red, are personal comment by me...for more indepth info go here
http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/howto/how_to_edit_the_registry.html